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His fingers tightened around the old man’s throat. A wheeze slipped from the guy’s mouth.
“I’ve got to shift,” he muttered. No choice. The tiger was stronger than the man. He’d heal faster with the beast’s power.
No choice.
Erin gave a grim nod.
And the gnome suddenly started fighting in his hold. Clawing at him with stubby nails and kicking out. “No, no,no!”
This was the last thing he needed. Jude could hardly hear, and he still couldn’t smell a damn thing.
Some hunter he was right then.
With a growl, he slammed the gnome’s head into the back of the building. A nice thud sounded and the guy’s eyes fell closed. Jude dropped him to the ground.
Then fell down beside him.
Erin dropped to her knees. “Jude, what can I?—”
Fire heated his veins. The tiger roared, and Jude arched his back, more than ready for the burn of the shift. The tiger fought his way to the surface as the man sank back into the pain and let the beast have his way. Bones popped. He saw the fur spring up on his hands and arms. This was it, this was what he needed?—
“Behind you!”Erin’s scream.
He realized that her arms were pulling at him, trying to yank him closer to her. He hadn’t even felt her touch because the shift was too intense.
Jude forced himself to glance back. Caught between man and beast, he struggled to hold on, just for a moment more.
Glowing yellow eyes stared at him. Shining from the darkness of the woods.
Oh, shit.The old man hadn’t been afraid of him in those last few moments. No, not of him.
The wolf raced out of the trees, body thick with muscles and black fur. Its mouth was open, the razor sharp teeth glinting with saliva.
The bastard was heading straight for them.
Jude opened his mouth to shout, but he couldn’t speak anymore. The hellfire of the shift blasted through him. Sweet, sweet pain.
No, the man couldn’t speak, but the tiger roared his challenge into the darkness—and to the wolf.
ChapterFourteen
A shifter’sweakest moments came during the time of change from man to beast. The shift wasn’t instant. It was fast, yes, but the bones had to snap and reshape and the flesh had to change and the?—
It was brutal. Hard.
And dangerous.
Erin had seen her share of shifts before. She knew the game. And she knew that Jude couldn’t take the wolf right then. So she did the only thing she could.
Erin ran in front of him. The tiger snarled in fury behind her, but he couldn’t attack yet. He was trapped between man and beast.
She stared at the wolf. She hadn’t smelled him. Because of the kymine or because he’d cloaked his scent? The bastard had been able to sneak right up on them. All the better to kill.
“You stay the hell back!” She lifted her claws, ready to do as much damage as she could.
The wolf was big, with a long, muscled body. A thick muzzle, pointed ears, and those glowing eyes?—
Her heart slammed into her chest.
